Our Guiding Vision Principles (How we move forward): To encourage and empower each other to live out Micah 6:8 in our daily lives, The Community will act to abide by five guiding vision principles so that all may experience and grow in the love of Christ.

Establish meaningful relationships among each other and those we encounter

Utilize assets and gifts, including facilities and property, to serve the needs of others

Achieve financial stability

Empower faithful engagement with social and faith topics

Eliminate barriers to growth

RELATIONSHIPS

Recognizing that meaningful relationships are essential for experiencing and sharing the love of Christ, The Community seeks to establish meaningful relationships inside and outside the congregation.

Year 1 Focus on Inside-Out Groups

Nurture and grow current groups

Promote second cycle of Inside-Out options for 2015, creating new opportunities to connect additional people

Identify a volunteer program manager to coordinate, support, and sustain group cycles

Year 2 Expand Groups to be More Self Sustaining

Encourage people who participated in the groups to lead new groups

Identify which Inside-Out groups that have potential for greater collaboration inside and outside the congregation

Strengthen missions by guiding the Inside-Out groups to follow their passions and focus on the “Out” part of the groups. (For example helping with Heartside, volunteering at a school, organizing a clothing drive, etc.)

Year 3 Partner with Other Churches and Organizations

Develop relationships with leaders in neighboring churches and organizations

Encourage team leaders and group leaders to collaborate with other congregations and organizations, especially our mission partners, to fulfill their needs and share what we’ve learned about small group development.

FAITHFUL ENGAGEMENT

Recognizing that Christian faith calls us to pursue justice, The Community seeks to empower its members to talk about controversial issues in a way that honors Christ and deepens relationships with each other.
Year 1 Learn how to talk about relevant social and faith topics in a way that promotes an understanding of our faith tradition, our personal beliefs, and an ability to listen deeply to all perspectives.

Train leaders in Restorative Circles, empowering them to facilitate conversations where people can speak and listen in a way that deepens relationships

Select a group of trained leaders to design and implement multi-layered (one-on-one, small group, congregation wide, community-wide) conversation series about relevant social and faith topics, including a process for reflection at the conclusion of series

Implement the first multi-layered conversation series on a relevant social and faith topic to be determined by the trained leaders in consultation with the elders and pastors

Year 2 Expand leader base, continue conversation series

Evaluate the first conversation series. Proceed with one or two additional topics, tweaking the process as necessary

Create opportunities for more people to be trained in restorative circle facilitating

Encourage congregation members to share their beliefs and proactively invite friends to attend worship and these conversation series

Reflect on what we’ve learned about our congregation and ourselves through this process.

Year 3 Integrate restorative circle practices into general congregational life

Proceed with one or two additional topics, tweaking the process as necessary

Reflect on what needs to change in our congregation’s way of being (including statements, policies, vision statement, mission partners, etc), in light of what we’ve learned in this process

Encourage Restorative Circles facilitators to use their skills in difficult conversations in other areas of their lives

FACILITIES

Recognizing that our building is an asset to be shared, The Community seeks to utilize its facilities and property to serve the needs of others

Year 1 Communicate and Share Resources with Residents of the Township

Display free WiFi signs for patio

Offer our building as workspace for the Business Association and remote workers

Provide space for continued education classes for the township and school districts

Create a play space for children using input from moms’ groups and young parents